Presenters at Florida Chapter Lunch & Learn Give Attendees Valuable Insights

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(L-R): Florida Chapter VP Dean Cacio, Pres. Lina Garcia-Martin, presenters Barry Christopher, Paul Bullock, Thomas Hyatt, and Chapter Treasurer John Hayes
 

On May 6, industry professionals from across the Sunshine State gathered in Orlando for the PDCA Florida Chapter 1/2 Day Lunch & Learn³, an afternoon focused on education, networking, and strengthening connections throughout the deep foundations community. Hosted at the Castle Hotel Orlando, the complimentary learning event delivered a strong turnout and plenty of valuable discussion among contractors, engineers, suppliers, and other industry leaders.

Attendees enjoyed lunch and networking before settling in for an informative series of presentations that offered practical insight and earned participants three Professional Development Hours (PDH). Featured speakers included Barry Christopher, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, Paul Bullock, Ph.D., P.E.Fugro USA Land, Inc., and Thomas Hyatt, P.E. of Dan Brown and Associates, LLC (UES). Their presentations covered industry trends, technical expertise, and real-world applications that attendees could immediately bring back to their projects and teams.

The PDCA Florida Chapter extends sincere appreciation to the event sponsors whose support helped make the program possible, including:
JD Fields & Co. 
Apex Steel Pipe & Piling
Equipment Corporation of America (ECA) 
Meever USA 
R.W. Harris Inc.
Russell Marine LLC.

Events like the Lunch & Learn³ continue to demonstrate the value of PDCA chapter involvement by bringing together professionals who are committed to advancing the driven pile industry through education, collaboration, and shared experience.

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Posted in Chapter News Florida.

Extra! Extra! PDCA Members Contribute to Successful Artemis II Mission

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(L) Manson Construction Project Sponsor Kelly Blythe, (R) Artemis II capsule arrives at Manson-built pier on San Diego Naval base, photo credit Brad Graves, SDBJ

Subscribers to the PDCA e-newsletterA Pile of News may remember a feature in the May 2026 edition highlighting member companies that have contributed to NASA projects, including those connected to the successful Artemis II mission. At that time, PDCA also invited members involved in NASA-related work to reach out if their contributions had not yet been recognized.

One member company answered that call with an impressive addition to the story. Manson Construction shared details about its work modernizing Pier 8 at Naval Base San Diego, a project completed three years ago that ultimately played a role in the Artemis II mission. Following the crew's Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10, 2026, the Artemis capsule arrived by ship at the Manson-built pier.

PDCA appreciates association member Kelly Blythe, PE, of Manson Construction for bringing this important connection to our attention. Blythe explained that NASA served as a stakeholder during the project because the pier design required specialized features capable of supporting capsule recovery operations.

To further document the connection, Blythe also shared a published article from the San Diego Business Journal by editor Brad Graves, which covered the capsule's arrival in San Diego. The story included a striking image of the Artemis capsule secured on Pier 8 following its transport from the ocean. Graves graciously granted PDCA permission to republish the photo featured with this story.

Manson Construction now joins a growing list of PDCA members connected to the historic Artemis II mission and other NASA initiatives. Previously recognized members include Orion Marine Group, which led construction of the NASA Causeway Bridge project supporting transportation access to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Artemis II launched. Additional members contributing products and services to the Causeway project included GRL Engineers, Inc., ASAP Group, International Construction Equipment, Inc., GeoQuip, UES, and Pile Dynamics, Inc.Bechtel also recently completed ground systems work at Kennedy Space Center, while Canal Barge Company transported the Artemis Space Launch System to the launch site ahead of the April 1 liftoff.

PDCA congratulates these members -- and potentially others still to be identified -- for contributing to a landmark achievement in modern space exploration.

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Bechtel representatives work at KSC launch site
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Canal Barge transports Artemis Space Launch System
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Orion crew members watch a launch from KSC
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Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

Texas Chapter Announces Opening of 2026 Scholarship Program

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Members of the Texas Chapter leadership team announce 2025 winning students, (L-R):- Shiri Foster, Jene Adler, Mickie Thatcher, Matthew Knight, John Burns, scholarship recipient Taylor Darling, Erica Parker
 

Students pursuing careers in deep foundation construction, engineering and related fields have an exciting opportunity through the PDCA Texas Chapter. The chapter will award four scholarships of $2,500 each for the Spring 2027 academic year, supporting students committed to careers connected to the pile driving industry. Eligible applicants include Texas high school seniors and current college students enrolled in construction, engineering, safety or trade-related programs at accredited U.S. institutions.

To apply, students must submit a completed application along with transcripts, a faculty recommendation, a letter of sponsorship from a PDCA member, and a photo. All materials must be emailed to Scholarship@pdcatexas.com by August 14, 2026. Applications will be reviewed through a blind scoring process, with awards announced in September 2026.

This scholarship not only provides financial support, but also helps connect students with industry professionals--making it a valuable step toward building a successful future in construction.

Students interest​ed in pursuing a 2026 award from the PDCA Texas Chapter can learn more about the program by clicking the Criteria & Guidelines button below. Or, click the second button to jump directly to the 2026 application. Good luck to all student applicants!​​​​​​

Posted in Chapter News Texas.

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